1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a connector to be used for connecting a flexible flat circuit (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cFFCxe2x80x9d) board for use in, e.g., an automobile, on a wiring board. Particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in connection with reliability and ease of assembly of a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrical connector, such as that shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, has hitherto been used as an electrical connector of this type.
As shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, reference numeral 51 designates a male connector housing. The male connector housing 51 is constituted of a base member 55xe2x80x94which serves as a receiver for receiving an FFC 52xe2x80x94and a fixing member 56. The base member 55 is provided with a support section 55-1 on which the FFC 52 is to be placed, a slit 55-3 formed in the support section 55-1, and locating pins 55-2.
Attachment of the FFC 52 to the male connector housing 51 is performed by the following operations. Namely, the extremity of the FFC 52 is inserted into the slit 55-3 of the base member 55, and the locating pins 55-2 are fitted into holes 52-1 of the FFC 52.
Subsequently, the locating pins 55-2 of the base member 55 are fitted into holes 56-1 of the fixing member 56. Engagement latches 56-2 provided at respective ends of the fixing member 56 are engaged with engagement sections 55-5.
Reference numeral 53 designates a female connector housing which is formed from resin through injection molding. Contact terminals 54 are fitted into the female connector housing 53.
The contact terminals 54 are produced from a brass plate through press-molding. A solder tail 54-2 is formed at one end of each contact terminal 54 and inserted into and soldered to a through hole formed in a circuit board or a like board (not shown).
Two rod-like sections 54-3, each having a contact 54-1, are formed at the other end of each contact terminal 54.
By means of engaging the male connector housing 51 with the female connector housing 53, lock projections 55-4 of the base member 55 are fixedly engaged with engagement recesses 53-1 of the female connector housing 53. As a result, the rod-like sections 54-3 of the contact terminal 54 become elastically deformed, and the contacts 54-1 of the contact terminal 54 hold a conductor circuit section of the FFC 52, thereby electrically constituting a predetermined electric circuit.
However, in relation to such a related-art male connector housing 51, the lock projections 55-4 are formed on the base member 55. Hence, when connected to the female connector housing 53, the male connector 51 is susceptible to horizontal deflections. Engagement between the base member 55 and the FFC 52 is dependent primarily on the FFC 52 and the locating pins 55-2 of the base member 55. Hence, if strong tension is applied to the FFC 52, the FFC 52 is torn from the neighborhood of the holes 52-1 of the FFC 52.
In order to prevent occurrence of a tear, a method of securing the FFC 52 on the base member 55 by means of an adhesive is also employed. However, the method poses a problem of occurrence of a drop in workability.
Another problem is that the engagement section 55-5 hinders disconnection of the FFC 52 after the male connector 51 has been engaged with the female connector housing 53.
The present invention has been conceived in light of the foregoing problem and aims at providing a connector to be used for connecting an FFC, which connector has high connection reliability and improved ease of assembly.
A first configuration for achieving the object is characterized by a connector for connecting a flexible flat circuit (FFC) including a male connector housing having slits along which an FFC is inserted, and a retainer for fastening the FFC to the male connector housing, wherein the retainer is forced into an insertion side of the FFC and engaged with the male connector housing, thereby fastening the FFC between the retainer and the male connector housing in a folded manner.
According to a second configuration, the first configuration is characterized in that the slits are formed in a root of each of the guide ribs of the male connector housing.
A third configuration is characterized by a connector for connecting an flexible flat circuit (FFC) including a male connector housing having an insertion port along which an FFC is inserted, and a retaining member for fastening the FFC to the male connector housing, wherein the retaining member has slits along which an FFC is inserted and is inserted into and engaged with, at an inclination, the side of the male connector housing opposite to the side thereof into which the FFC is to be inserted, thereby fastening the FFC between the retaining member and the male connector housing in a folded manner.
According to a fourth configuration, the third configuration is characterized in that the retaining member can be retained in a temporarily-held state such that an insertion port into which the FFC is to be inserted becomes flush with the slits.
A fifth configuration is characterized by a connector for connecting an FFC in which an FFC is sandwiched between a male connector housing and a retainer, wherein the FFC is bent through 180xc2x0 by the male connector housing and the retainer, to thereby form upper and lower surfaces, and an electrical connection section is formed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively.
According to a sixth configuration, the fifth configuration is characterized in that the FFC is sandwiched between two large and small recessed sections and two large and small projecting sections of the retainer, and a bent portion of the FFC is formed at any point between the male connector housing and a portion of the retainer at which a change arises in the cross section of the retainer.
A seventh configuration of the present invention is characterized by a connector for connecting an FFC which includes a plug on which an FFC is to be provided and a housing to be fitted to the plug, wherein the plug has a boss section of small cross section and a seat section of large cross section, which are formed by means of a single upper surface and different lower surfaces of two stages; an engagement member for engaging the FFC is provided on the upper surface, and a projecting section and a recessed section are provided at an interface between the lower surfaces of two stages; an insertion hole and an opening section, which are to be fitted to the boss section and the seat section, are provided in the housing; and a recessed section and a projecting section are provided in a boundary section between the insertion hole and the opening section so as to come into contact with the projecting and recessed sections of the plug with the FFC sandwiched therebetween.
According to an eighth configuration of the present invention, the first configuration is further characterized in that a restriction member for restricting the FFC is provided on a lower surface of the seat section of the plug.
According to the invention, there is provided an electrical connection connector which constitutes a predetermined electrical circuit by means of fitting a male connector housing having an FFC attached thereto into a female connector housing having a contact terminal incorporated therein, wherein
the male connector housing has a storage section which is constituted of a retaining surface for retaining the FFC, a ceiling surface provided at a position above the retaining surface, and guide grooves provided on respective sides of the retaining surface;
an engagement projection for meshing with an engagement hole formed in the FFC is provided on the retaining surface; and
groove-like warpage spaces are formed in the ceiling surface located at a position above the engagement projection so as to extend from an insertion entrance for the FFC to an end of the storage section.
Preferably, one or a plurality of engagement projections are provided, and the projections may be provided in series or in shunt with each other with reference to the direction in which the FFC is to be inserted.
The warpage spaces for FFC formed in the ceiling section may assume a C-shaped, U-shaped, or V-shaped cross-sectional profile or other cross-sectional profile, so long as the spaces constrain deformation of the FFC which would be caused by the engagement projection.
According to the invention, a shape restriction section is provided on the retaining surface of the male connector housing for restricting and bending an extremity of the FFC downward.